“I would love to have D-Wade a part of this team,” James said Monday afternoon. “I think he brings another championship pedigree, championship DNA. He brings another playmaker to the team who can get guys involved, can make plays and also has a great basketball mind.”

James and Wade won two championships together with the Miami Heat, advancing to the NBA Finals in each of their four seasons as teammates. But the two split up following the 2013-14 season, as James returned to Cleveland and Wade eventually signed with the Chicago Bulls, his own homecoming.

“I’ve talked to D-Wade throughout the whole summer and I will probably reach out to him as well, but it’s not up to me,” James said. “It’s up to D-Wade if he can clear waivers, it’s up to our front office. But I hope we can bring him here. I would love to have him here.”